Dispensing Device

ABSTRACT

A dispensing device having a housing capable of receiving a pre-packaged charge of pre-whipped topping or icing. The housing has an inner wall with a slot formed therein for receiving a rack that is capable of rotational and translational motion within the slot. The rack has a set of gear teeth that engage with a catch on a plunger. The piston moves in the axial direction to force the pre-whipped topping or icing through the outlet in its packaging. The catch on the piston is locked in one direction and pivots in the opposite direction such that the rack engages with the piston when it moves in a first direction and the rack disengages with the piston when it is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/388,592, filed on Mar. 24, 2006, which in turn claims priority toU.S. provisional patent application No. 60/704,521, filed on Aug. 1,2005, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may be used for dispensing viscous materials suchas paste-like extrudable materials, extrudable foams, or the like. Onearea where the invention has particular application is the foodindustry. In the food industry, icing or pre-whipped toppings aretypically applied manually by means of a cone shaped flexible packagecontaining the substance to be dispensed. As an example, pre-whippedtopping is typically supplied in a sealed bag having a conical shapewith the product being dispensed from the narrower end where an outletportion is formed. The outlet portion is typically opened by cuttingwith a pair of scissors. Other methods for opening the bag are alsosuitable. Once the flexible packaging is opened at the outlet, theproduct is dispensed by squeezing the sides of the packaging to forcethe product to exit through the opening. Manual dispensing of thepre-whipped topping or icing in this manner can cause muscle fatigue inthe workers which can negatively impact productivity.

There is a need for a dispensing device that is easier to operate, thatcan be operated with one hand, that can be stored in a limited space,and that provides cooling properties for maintaining a safe temperaturefor the topping. In order to maintain the physical characteristics ofthe dispensed product, the dispenser should not provide any force to thepre-whipped topping or icing when the unit is not dispensing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets the above-described need by providing adispensing device having a housing capable of receiving a pre-packagedcharge of pre-whipped topping or icing. The housing has an inner wallwith a slot formed therein for receiving a rack. The rack has a set ofgear teeth that engage with a catch on a plunger. The piston moves inthe axial direction to force the pre-whipped topping or icing throughthe outlet in its packaging. The catch on the piston is locked in onedirection and pivots in the opposite direction such that the rackengages with the piston when it moves in a first direction and the rackdisengages with the piston when it is moved in a second directionopposite the first direction.

Rotation of the rack inside the slot moves the gear teeth to theopposite side of the slot from the catch thereby allowing the piston tobe pushed back toward the end of the housing for reloading the device.In one embodiment of the invention, closing of the cover automaticallycauses the rack to rotate back into a position where it can engage withthe rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which like referencecharacters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dispensing device of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a cutaway perspective view with the cover removed for clarity;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the dispensingdevice of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the dispensingdevice of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the device showing thepiston disengaged from the rack;

FIG. 12 is a perspective exploded view showing flexible packagingcontaining a supply of a pre-whipped topping;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the dispensing device of the presentinvention with the packaging for the topping loaded in the dispenser;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the channel in the side wallcontaining the rack;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the trigger mechanism of the dispensingdevice with the cover removed for clarity;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 16-16 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 17-17 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 15, with the trigger mechanism in adifferent position;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 19-19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a detailed view of the piston and rack showing the movementof the piston when engaged with the rack; and

FIG. 21 is a detailed view of the piston and rack showing the catchpivoting away from the rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-21 generally and initially to FIGS. 1-5, a housing13 has a first end 16 and a second end 19. The first end 16 is thedispensing end of the unit 10, and as will be described in greaterdetail below, the first end 16 may be provided with a pivoting cover 22having an opening 25 therein. The opening 25 is sized to receive aoutlet 28 (FIG. 12) operatively associated with flexible packaging 31(FIG. 12) containing the product to be dispensed. As will be evident tothose of ordinary skill in the art based on this disclosure, the outlet28 of the packaging 31 may be provided with a dispensing tip (not shown)that is disposed inside the packaging 31 and that moves to the end ofthe outlet 28 to provide a passageway for the extrudable product oncethe dispensing begins. The cover 22 is substantially flat such that theunit is capable of being supported on a level surface from the first end16.

The second end 19 may be provided with a substantially flat end wall 34such that the unit may also be supported on a level surface from thesecond end 19. The second end 19 may also be provided with a hook 23 forhanging the unit 10 from the second end 19 for storage. The hook 23 maybe relatively thin and pivotally attached at the second end 19 such thatit can be folded against the end wall 34 and will not interfere when theunit 10 is supported by the second end 19.

Turning to FIG. 6, the housing 13 defines a cavity 37 that receives theflexible packaging 31 (FIG. 12). The housing 13 may be substantiallycylindrical in overall shape such that it is capable of receiving adisk-like piston 40 therein. The piston 40 is capable of sliding insidethe housing 13 and is supported around its edges by the inside walls 43of the housing 13. The piston 40 and the inner walls 43 are designedwith materials and clearances so that the piston 40 slides smoothlyinside the housing 13 without losing alignment or binding against theinner walls 43. The force of the piston 40 against the packaging 31causes the product to be dispensed through outlet 28 (FIG. 13) at thefirst end 16. The housing 13 may be constructed with inner walls 43 andan outer wall 44. A space between the walls 43, 44 can be formed andfilled with materials having insulating properties for keeping materialsto be dispensed either warm or cold. As an alternative the housing 13may be formed from a solid walled cylinder constructed of a materialhaving insulating properties. The piston 40 and lid 22 may also beformed from materials having insulating properties.

For a cylindrical housing 13, the piston 40 is round and may be providedwith a thickness wide enough to provide for stable sliding against theinside walls 43. The piston 40 is provided with a catch 46 (FIGS. 8,9)that is capable of engaging with a gear rack 49 that is disposed insidethe housing 13. The movement of the gear rack 49, which is described ingreater detail below, causes the piston 40 to move in the axialdirection with respect to the housing 13. Movement of the piston 40 inthe axial direction causes the flexible packaging 31 to be compressedand the product is forced out as described above.

The gear rack 49 may be mounted on the housing 13 in a slot 52 formed bya tube-like member 54 (FIG. 8) that is attached to the housing 13 at itsperiphery. The slot 52 could also be integrally formed in a recess inthe housing 13 itself. The slot 52 extends in the axial direction fromthe first end 16 to the second end 19, and the slot 52 extends in theaxial direction adjacent to the inner wall 43 of the housing 13. Thetube-like member 54 forming the slot 52 may be cylindrical or othersuitable shape. The inside wall 43 of the housing 13 is substantiallycircular in cross-section except for a gap 55 where the slot 52 isformed by the tube-like member 54. The piston 40 slides inside thehousing 13 against the inner walls 43, and the catch 46 extends into theslot 52 where it engages with the rack 49. The rack 49 moves back andforth inside the slot 52 as will be described in greater detail below.The dispenser 10 may be provided with a single rack 49 as shown in thisexample. Additional racks 49 may also be used. The reciprocating rack 49eliminates the need for a connecting rod attached to the piston 40 andtherefore reduces the space required by the unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 7, the gear rack 49 is formed by a rod 57 having a setof gear teeth 60 disposed on at least a portion of the periphery of therod 57. In the example shown, the rod 57 is elongate and formed from ahollow cylindrical body. Other shapes may also be suitable. The rod 57extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the unit 10 and maybe supported from one or both ends. The rod 57 is hollow and slides overa guide pin 61. The guide pin 61 may be formed from a solid rod-likemember attached at the first end 16. The guide pin 61 fits inside therod 57 and extends for a portion of the length of the housing 13. Therod 57 slidingly engages with the pin 61 to maintain alignment of thegear rack 49 in the slot 52.

Turning to FIG. 9, the catch 46 on the piston 40 extends into the slot52 and engages with the teeth 60 on rod 57. The catch 46 is pivotallyattached to the piston 40 at pivot point 47 such that it is capable ofpivoting away from the gear teeth 60 when the rack 49 moves in aparticular direction. Accordingly, as best shown in FIGS. 20 and 21,when the gear teeth 60 travel in a first direction indicated by arrow61, the catch 46 engages with the teeth 60 and the piston 40 moves inunison with the gear rack 49 in the first direction. When the gear rack49 is moved in a second direction (indicated by arrow 62) opposite thefirst direction, the catch 46 pivots away from the gear teeth 60 and thegear rack 49 is capable of sliding past the piston 40 without moving thepiston 40. Accordingly, during normal operation the piston 40 moves inone direction toward the dispensing end 16. Between each actuation ofthe trigger 63, the piston 40 is held in position by engagement of thecatch 46 with teeth 60 in the rack 49. The catch 46 is arranged suchthat it is stopped in one direction because of engagement with ashoulder 51 (FIG. 21). Accordingly, movement of the rack 49 from left toright with respect to the figures causes the piston 40 to move and thepiston 40 cannot be moved to the left with respect to the rack 49because of the engagement of the catch 46 with the teeth 60.

The unit 10 is designed such that the piston 40 moves from the secondend 19 toward the first end 16 where product is dispensed throughopening 25. The gear rack 49 moves in reciprocating translatory fashiontoward and away from the first end 16.

The unit 10 may be operated with one hand by means of an actuatingtrigger 63 (FIG. 2) that is mechanically coupled to the gear rack 49such that rotation caused by squeezing of the trigger 63 toward astationary handle 72 causes the gear rack 49 to move towards the firstend 16 of the unit 10. In the example shown, the actuating trigger 63 iscoupled to an axle 66 which rotates a link 69 to convert the rotarymotion of the axle 66 into linear motion of the gear rack 49. The link69 is connected to the rack 49 by means of element 68 which travels inslot 67 and imparts a force against a collar 70. In FIG. 15 the trigger63 is shown in its normal position prior to actuation. As shown in FIG.18, squeezing the trigger 63 causes it to rotate toward stationaryhandle 72 as indicated by arrow 71. The collar 70 is disposed around theoutside of the rack 49. A bearing 71 (not shown) inside the collar 70enables the rack 49 and guide pin 61 to rotate relative to the collar70. The collar 70 and the rack 49 are connected such that movement ofthe collar 70 in the axial direction caused by the link 69 causes therack 49 to move in unison with the collar 70 in the axial direction. Thelink 69 moves the rack 49 back and forth in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the unit 10.

The actuating trigger 63 is squeezed toward a stationary handle 72 inorder to move the gear rack 49 in the first direction toward the firstend 16 of the housing.

When the actuating handle 63 is released, the axle 66 rotates in theopposite direction by means of a biasing member such as a coil spring75. This rotation causes the link 69 to move in the opposite directionthereby moving the gear rack 49 in the second direction.

Returning to FIG. 9, during the normal operation of the unit 10, thepiston 40 moves toward the first end 16 where the product is dispensedthrough the nozzle 28 (FIG. 12). With each pull of the actuating trigger63, the piston 40 advances a predetermined distance which can beadjusted as described above. As discussed above, when engaged with thegear rack 49, the piston 40 can only move in a single direction. Afterthe piston 40 reaches the first end 16 and all of the product isdispensed, the empty package must be removed and the piston 40 must bereturned to the second end 19 of the unit 10 for refilling. In order tomove the piston 40 relative to the rack 49 in the second direction, thegear rack 49 must be disengaged from the catch 46 on the piston 40. Inthe example shown, the gear teeth 60 are disposed on one side of thecylindrical rod 57. Accordingly, rotation of the rod 57 (as indicated byarrow 58 in FIG. 11) will cause the teeth 60 to rotate out of engagementwith the catch 46. Once the teeth 60 are rotated away from the catch 46,the piston 40 can be manually pushed in the direction of arrow 59 towardthe second end 19 of the housing 13 for refilling the unit 10.

Turning to FIG. 10, one example for automatically rotating the teeth 60away from the catch 46 is shown. The cover 22 is pivotally attached tothe housing 13 at the first end 16, and rotating the cover 22 to openthe unit 10 causes the gear rack 49 to rotate. The cover 22 is pivotallymounted on an axle 91 that is supported from the outside of the housing13 adjacent to the first end 16. The axle 91 also has a first gear 94mounted thereon that rotates in the same direction as the cover 22 andaxle 91. The gear 94 engages with a transverse gear 97 that is mountedat an approximately ninety degree angle to the first gear 94.Accordingly, the turning of gear 94 causes rotation of gear 97 in aperpendicular plane. The transverse gear 97 is mechanically coupled tothe guide pin 61 by means of a third gear 100. Accordingly, the rotationof the cover 22 from a closed to an open position causes the guide pin61 to rotate the rack 49 by means of a set of gears 94, 97, 100. Therack 49 rotates from a position where the teeth 60 engage with the catch46 to a position (best shown in FIG. 11) where the teeth 60 aredisengaged and clear from the catch 46 thus allowing the piston 40 toslide freely in the second direction (indicated by arrow 59 in FIG. 11)toward the second end 19 of the housing 13.

The guide pin 61 has a protuberance 103 disposed thereon and extendingoutward. A longitudinal slot 106 formed in the gear rack 49 receives theguide pin 61. The protuberance 103 mechanically couples the guide pin 61to the rack 49 with regard to rotation. Accordingly, rotation of theguide pin 61 by operation of the gears 94, 97, and 100 causes the rack49 to rotate in unison by means of the protuberance 103 engaging withthe side wall of the rack 49 adjacent to the slot 106.

In contrast, the longitudinal slot 106 allows the protuberance 103 tofreely slide back and forth in the axial direction such that the rack 49is capable of sliding relative to the guide pin 61 in the axialdirection. As a result, the guide pin 61 and rack 49 rotate in unisonbut are capable of sliding relative to each other in the axialdirection.

Turning to FIGS. 12-14, in order to fill the unit 10 the cover 22 isopened which causes the rack 49 to rotate away from the catch 46 on thepiston 40. The piston 40 can then be pushed to the back of the housing13. The flexible packaging 31 containing the material to be dispensed isinserted into the housing 13 and the outlet 28 is threaded through theopening 25 in the cover 22. The flexible packaging 31 may be providedwith an extended portion 32 at the end opposite the outlet. The extendedportion 32 provides a surface for abutting the piston 40 to provideadditional stability. The cover 22 is then closed as shown in FIG. 13and the outlet 28 is opened by means of scissors, a knife, or the like.Alternatively, the outlet 28 may be provided with a tear away feature.Once the outlet 28 is opened, material may be dispensed by squeezing thetrigger 63 toward stationary handle 72.

A pivoting catch 109 may be provided adjacent the first end 16 of thehousing 13 to hold the cover 22 in the closed position. The catch 109may pivotally attached at the first end 16 such that depressing a lever112 disposed on the opposite side of a pivot point 115 causes the catch109 to rotate away from engagement with the cover 22. The catch 109 maybe spring biased in the closed position as shown.

The unit 10 has been described in connection with a mechanical drivesystem for the reciprocating rack 49. It will be evident to those ofordinary skill in the art based on this disclosure that the linkage forthe gear rack 49 could be driven by an electric motor or the like.

The present invention has been described in connection with a dispensersuitable for use with pre-whipped toppings or icings in the foodindustry. However, it is to be understood that the present invention maybe used in any industry where viscous materials need to be dispensedwith a hand held tool.

While the invention has been described in connection with certainembodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention tothe particular forms set forth, but, on the contrary, it is intended tocover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

1. A dispenser, comprising: a housing having a cavity defined thereinand having an outlet; a piston disposed inside the housing andconfigured to slide within the housing without binding, and having atleast one retractable catch extending therefrom; at least one gear rackdisposed on a side of the housing and inside the cavity, wherein thegear rack moves relative to the housing in translatory fashion and thegear rack having teeth capable of engaging with the catch on the pistonsuch that the piston is moved in a first direction when the rack ismoved in the first direction; and, a trigger in operative relation tothe gear rack such that actuation of the trigger causes the rack to movein the first direction.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein movement ofthe gear rack in a second direction opposite the first direction causesthe catch to retract such that the piston remains substantially in placewhen the rack moves in the second direction.
 3. The dispenser of claim1, wherein the trigger is mechanically coupled to the gear rack by arotating link.
 4. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a coverpivotally attached to the housing at the outlet.
 5. The dispenser ofclaim 1, further comprising a flexible, cylindrical-shaped bag filledwith a paste-like product, the bag sized to match the innercross-sectional area of the cavity in the dispenser, the bag having anoutlet at a first end.
 6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the outletof the housing is disposed at a first end, the housing having a secondend opposite the first end, the second end having a substantially flatsurface for supporting the dispenser on the second end when thedispenser is not in use.
 7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the outletof the housing is recessed at the first end, the first end having asubstantially planar surface disposed around the outlet for supportingthe dispenser on the first end when the dispenser is not in use.
 8. Adispenser, comprising: a housing having a cavity defined therein andhaving an outlet; a piston disposed inside the housing and configured toslide within the housing without binding, and having at least oneretractable catch extending therefrom; at least one gear rack disposedon a side of the housing and inside the cavity, wherein the gear rackmoves relative to the housing in translatory fashion and the gear rackhaving teeth capable of engaging with the catch on the piston such thatthe piston is moved in a first direction when the rack is moved in thefirst direction, the gear rack capable of rotating into a position wherethe catch does not engage with the teeth during movement of the gearrack in the first or second direction; a trigger in operative relationto the gear rack such that movement of the trigger causes the rack tomove in the first direction and release of the trigger causes the rackto move in a second direction opposite the first direction; whereinmovement of the gear rack in the second direction causes the catch toretract such that the piston remains substantially in place when therack moves in the second direction.
 9. The dispenser of claim 8, furthercomprising a cover pivotally attached to the housing at the outlet. 10.The dispenser of claim 8, further comprising a flexible,cylindrical-shaped bag filled with a paste-like product, the bag sizedto match the inner cross-sectional area of the cavity in the dispenser,the bag having an outlet at a first end.
 11. The dispenser of claim 8,wherein the outlet of the housing is disposed at a first end, thehousing having a second end opposite the first end, the second endhaving a substantially flat surface for supporting the dispenser on thesecond end when the dispenser is not in use.
 12. The dispenser of claim8, wherein the outlet of the housing is recessed at the first end, thefirst end having a substantially planar surface disposed around theoutlet for supporting the dispenser on the first end when the dispenseris not in use.
 13. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein the trigger iscoupled to the gear rack by at least one pivoting link.